Picture frame



Jan. 7, 1930. BQESE 1,742,378

PICTURE FRAME 7 Filed March 30-, 1928 Patented Jan. 7, 1930 UNITED STATES PA'TENT, oFFlicE EDWARD H. BOESE, OF VILLA PARK, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR 'IQ CHICAGO PQRTRAIT COM- PANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS PICTURE FRAME Application filed March 30, 1928. Serial No. 265,919.

This invention relates to picture frames, and has particular reference to novel means for securing a picture or other printed or painted sheet in a frame. The ordinary method of securing pictures, portraits, and the like, in picture frames is awkward and requires considerable time and skill, and fttimes the glass plate, which covers the picture, is cracked when driving in the tacks or nails which hold the picture in place in the frame.

The present invention consists in a picture frame having one or more resilient strips secured in the inner edges of the frame and pressing against the back of the picture or other printed or painted sheet, or pressing against the back of an interposed backing sheet, thereby firmly holding the parts in place. The invention further consists in the several novel features hereinafter fully set forth and claimed.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the drawing accompanying this specification in which Figure l is a rear elevation of a picture frame embodying a simple form of the present invention; 1

Fig. 2 is a detail horizontal cross section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, but showing the parts upon an enlarged scale; and

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of one of the flexible strips employed in securing the picture in place in the frame.

Referring to said drawing, which illustrates a simple embodiment of the present invention, the reference character 5 designates the frame member or frame, which may be of usual construction, and, in the present instance, has been designed for containing con- 8 to receive the picture and glass as is cus-.

tomary. A convexly bowed sheet 6 of suitable material for displaying pictures, portraits,

vexly bowed pictures, portraits, prints, en

prints, engravings', and the like, is shown in the drawing, and the front or display side of the sheet is covered with a conveXly bowed glass or other transparent plate 7. The sheet 6 and plate 7 are placed in the'frame 5 in the usual manner with the edge portions contained in the rabbeted part 8 of the frame. If desired, the back of the picture sheet may be covered with a backing sheet 9.

One or more resilient strips 10, preferably formed of spring steel, are provided for securing the sheet and plate in place in the frame. As a preference, the ends of said resilient strips are beveled or tapered, as shown, to providepointed ends 11 which are adapted to sink into the material of the frame (see Fig. 2) and hold the resilient strips in pressing engagement with the rear face of the sheet. In cases where a backing sheet is placed behind the print, the resilient strips press against the rear face of the backing sheet, and hold the print and transparent plate tightly in the frame. The point at the end of each resilient strip is disposed one at one edge and the other point at the other edgeof the strip, as shown in Fig. 3, and this arrangement of the points prevents the strip from twisting when secured in place and enables the strip to be held in contact, throughout its entire extent, with the sheet.

The length of each strip is slightly greater than the distance between the opposing edge portions of the rabbeted parts of the frame in order that when the strip is secured to the frame it will assume a bowed condition held in pressing-engagement with the rear face of the sheet. In'securing a strip in position, it is bent into a bowed form, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 2, the pointed ends' forced into the opposing edges of the rabbeted portions of the frame, and then the main part of the strip is sprung back against the rear face of the sheet. By reason of the inherent elasticity of the resilient strip, it assumes the contour of the convexly bowed sheet and presses firmly against the same, thereby holding the sheet and the transparent plate tightly in place. The number of strips required for each frame depends upon the length of the frame, and, ordinarily,

two or three strips are sufiicient to securely hold the picture in place in the frame.

In some cases, the transparent plate or picture glass may be omitted and the picture sheet itself may be surfaced with a coating to preserve the subject matter displayed thereon. By the term picture sheet wherever used inthe specification, is meant a sheet of material having displayed thereon a portrait, painting, engraving, print, or other pictorial representation.

More or lessvariation of the exact details of construction is possible without departing from the spirit of this invention. I desire, therefore, not to limit myself to the exact form of the construction shown and described, but intend, in the following claims, to point out all of the invention disclosed herein.

' I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a picture frame, a frame member having a rabbeted inner edge portion, a convexly bowed sheet entering the rabbeted edge portion of the frame member, the convex side of said sheet being disposed at the front of the frame, and a resilient flatstrip having pointed ends engaging in oppositely posed sides of said edge portion of the frame member, the main portion of the strip being convexly bowed and held throughout in pressing engagement with the rear side of said sheet.

2. In a picture frame, a frame member having a rabbeted inner edge portion, a convexly bowed sheet, a convexly bowed transparent plate enterin said rabbeted edge portion and covering sai sheet, and a resilient flat strip -having reversely arranged pointed ends adapted to engage in said rabbeted edge portions of the frame member, said strip being convexly bowed and engaging the rear side of said sheet throughout its extent.

3. In a picture frame, a frame member having a rabbeted inner edge portion, a convexly bowed sheet and a convexly bowed transparent plate covering the same and entering said rabbeted edge portion, said sheet having a picture displayed on the convex side thereof, and a resilient flat strip of metal having pointed ends engaging the rabbeted portion of the frame member, said resilient strip being held in pressing engagement throughout its entire extent with the concave side of the bowed sheet.

EDWARD I-I. BOESE. 

